creole seasoning

Much like gumbo, this shrimp and tomato stew starts with a roux that thickens and adds a distinct flavor (though many takes on shrimp Creole skip the roux altogether). Next, the “holy trinity” of Creole cooking — onion, celery and bell pepper — is simmered in the roux. You’ll want to stir the bottom of the pot constantly to prevent the roux from sticking and burning, and make sure to keep a close eye: A burned roux can’t be saved. Creole cuisine relishes improvisation, so feel free to add other veggies or a different protein, or omit the hot sauce and add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in its place. This spicy stew is traditionally served over steamed white rice, but is also delicious served over brown rice or other whole grains, like quinoa.

Shrimp Creole

smoked paprika

chili powder

onion powder

garlic powder

cayenne pepper (or less, if desired)

fine sea salt

black pepper

shrimp,

Creole seasoning

unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

all-purpose flour

yellow onion, finely chopped

celery ribs, thinly sliced

green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

garlic cloves,

can tomato sauce (no salt added)

hot sauce, to taste (optional)

sugar

thyme

oregano

basil

bay leaves

Fine sea salt and black pepper

scallions

flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

rice,

Make the optional Creole seasoning: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir together. The seasoning makes about 1/4 cup; store it in a closed container in a cool, dry place. 

Toss the raw shrimp with 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning and set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until a roux the color of peanut butter forms, about 10 minutes.

Add the onion, celery and bell pepper, increase the heat to medium and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Stir in 1/3 cup water, then the tomato sauce, hot sauce (if using), sugar, thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally to make sure that the bottom doesn’t burn. (If needed, add more water.) 

Once the stew has thickened, add the seasoned shrimp and simmer until opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning each piece halfway through the cooking time. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle with scallions and parsley, and serve over steamed rice.

Found in both Creole and Cajun cuisines, étouffée is most commonly made with crawfish tails, which have a distinct flavor, but crawfish have a short season and aren’t readily available in most places. This version, with shrimp, is more than a worthy substitute, and an excellent dish all its own. The dish takes its name from the French word "étouffée,” which nods to its protein being smothered with sauce. This recipe uses a shortcut version of a roux: The flour is added after the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic have already been sautéed in the butter. If you omit the hot sauce, add apple cider vinegar in its place.

Shrimp Étouffée

unsalted butter

celery stalks, thinly sliced

green bell pepper, finely chopped

tomato paste

stock

sauce,

bay leaf

store-bought

salt and black pepper

scallion, green parts chopped

White rice,

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper, and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 more minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients and stir constantly until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, and stir and cook for 1 more minute.

Pour in the stock and 3/4 cup water. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the hot sauce, bay leaf, Creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture starts to thicken, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the shrimp is cooked through and opaque, about 5 minutes, turning each piece halfway through. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle the scallions on top. Serve warm over rice.

This Creole Seasoning recipe is super quick to make and tastes WAY better than store-bought!  Deliciously versatile, give your food a major boost in FLAVOR!

Homemade Creole Seasoning

sweet paprika powder

cayenne pepper

salt

Place all of the spices in a spice of coffee grinder or a blender.   Pulse until you get a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar in a dark cupboard until ready to use.  For optimal flavor use within 2 months.  Makes about 1/2 cup.

Homemade fresh salmon burgers topped with a slightly spicy cajun style remoulade sauce. These burgers are hearty, filling, and easy to make. Serve them in hamburger buns or with a salad!

Salmon Burgers with Cajun Remoulade Sauce

shallot, minced

red bell pepper, minced

celery, minced

parsley, chopped

capers, roughly chopped

EACH minced garlic and lemon juice

mayonnaise

panko breadcrumbs + more (see notes)

½ teaspoon EACH seafood seasoning AND cayenne

oil,

scallion, chopped

garlic

creole mustard (or dijon)

EACH hot sauce AND lemon juice

horseradish

CAJUN REMOULADE SAUCE: In a small bowl, combine...

CAJUN REMOULADE SAUCE: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

SALMON BURGERS: In a medium skillet heat 1...

SALMON BURGERS: In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced shallots, red bell peppers, and celery and cook for 3-5 minutes. You want to just soften the veggies. Remove the veggies to a small plate or bowl, allow to cool for several minutes.

Add the salmon to a food processor and...

Add the salmon to a food processor and pulse 2-3 times or until the salmon is well chopped and slightly sticky. Remove the salmon to a medium bowl, stir in the cooled shallot mixture, parsley, capers, garlic, lemon juice, mayo, panko, seafood seasoning, cayenne, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Combine until the mixture is evenly mixed. Divide the mixture into 6 patties. Place 2 tablespoons panko on a plate and place the patties on top. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of panko and press the patties gently.

Heat a small amount (about 1-2 tablespoons) of...

Heat a small amount (about 1-2 tablespoons) of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the salmon patties 3 at a time (or 1-2 depending on the size of your skillet), flipping once after 3-5 minutes. The patties should be golden and crispy on the outside and cooked to preference on the inside. Feel for firmness if you prefer a fully cooked patty.

Serve the burgers in burger buns with your...

Serve the burgers in burger buns with your favorite fixings and the cajun remoulade sauce OR over a bed of greens for a fresco style burger!

This meatless gumbo has a distinct Louisiana flavor, thanks to the roux, Creole seasoning and the “holy trinity” of Creole cooking (onion, celery, bell pepper). Gumbo is traditionally made with a variety of smoked meats and seafood, but this version gets an added bit of smokiness from an optional splash of liquid smoke. Here, the okra is roasted in the oven before being added to the pot, which eliminates the gooey-ness. There is also no skimping on vegetables in this gumbo, and the red lentils thicken it while adding protein. Serving this gumbo over white rice helps make it a complete meal.

Vegetarian Gumbo

(10- okra

Kosher salt and black pepper

unsalted butter oil

olive oil

yellow onion, diced

green bell pepper, diced

Creole seasoning,

Old Bay seasoning

tomatoes

vegetable or chicken stock, plus more as needed

red lentils

hot sauce,

liquid smoke (optional)

white rice

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the frozen okra in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, until cooked through and just starting to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

As okra roasts, prepare the roux: Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. (Either vessel will help evenly distribute the heat for a better roux.) If using vegetable oil, simply heat over medium. Using a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix the flour into the fat. Stir continuously, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so the roux does not burn (a burned roux cannot be saved), until the roux transforms from pale to peanut butter to a rich cinnamon color, about 7 minutes. Remove the roux from the heat and set aside. (Pull the pot from the heat just as the desired color is reached; the retained heat will continue to cook the roux slightly.)

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and bell pepper, and cook until softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Lastly, add the Creole and Old Bay seasonings, and stir so that they coat the vegetables and are lightly toasted, about 1 minute.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, stock and lentils. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to a light simmer. Cover and allow the lentils to cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. (Add more water or stock if needed.)

Add the okra and cook uncovered until softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce, and the liquid smoke, if using. Give the cooled roux a good stir and add it to the pot, making sure to mix it in thoroughly, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt, pepper, creole seasoning or hot sauce, if desired. Serve warm over white rice or quinoa.

This delicious and comforting cajun side dish is not only quick and easy to make in your pressure cooker but it is chock full of the flavors of New Orleans!

Instant Pot Dirty Rice

pork sausage

beef

onion

celery (diced)

green bell pepper(s) (diced)

jalapeno pepper(s) (seeded and finely chopped, optional)

garlic (minced)

Better than Bouillon (Roasted Beef flavor)

creole seasoning (I prefer Tony Cachere's)

unsalted chicken stock (I prefer Kitchen Basics)

long grain white rice (rinsed until water runs clear)

green onion(s) (chopped)

Set to Sauté: Set the Instant Pot to &#039;Sauté&#039;, use the &#039;Adjust&#039; button to set the heat level to &#039;More&#039;, and allow the pot to heat up.

Cook the Ground Pork &amp; Beef: As soon as the digital display reads &#039;Hot&#039;, add the ground pork to the pot and separate it into small pieces using a large spatula or spoon. Next, add the ground beef and cook both the pork and beef together, breaking them apart into smaller and smaller pieces as they cook. Continue until they are cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the Veggies, Herbs &amp; Spices: Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, Better than Bouillon, creole seasoning, and pepper. Mix the veggies and seasonings into the meat and cook until the onions and peppers are soft. About 2 to 3 minutes.

Cancel Sauté: Cancel out of the Sauté function.

prepare the Ground Pork &amp; Ground Beef

Add the rice and chicken stock to the pot and give all the ingredients a good stir, mixing the rice into the meat and vegetables while fully deglazing the bottom of the pot. Finally, add the 2 bay leaves.

add the Chicken Stock &amp; Rice

3-Minute Cook Time: Close the Instant Pot and set the pressure release valve to &#039;Sealing&#039; and then set the pot to cook on &#039;Manual&#039; / &#039;Pressure Cook&#039;, &#039;High Pressure&#039; for 3 minutes.

10-Minute NPR: Once the cook time has completed, allow for a 10 minute NPR (natural pressure release). Release any remaining pressure after the ten minute NPR has completed.

set the Cook Time

Open the pot, remove the bay leaves, fluff with a large spoon, serve and enjoy!

Fluff &amp; Serve

Jordan Ruiz cooks a version of the seafood gumbo his mother and grandmother made when he was growing up in New Orleans’ Gentilly neighborhood. It contains fin fish, which is rarely seen in restaurants in New Orleans, where seafood gumbos tend to contain shrimp and crab. Gumbo filé, made of dried and ground sassafras leaves, is used both as a thickening agent and for its flavor. Mr. Ruiz’s gumbo can be found at the Munch Factory, the New Orleans restaurant he owns with his wife, Alexis.

Creole Redfish Gumbo

yellow

green bell pepper

celery

shrimp stock or seafood stock

blue crabs, crab meat

gumbo filé powder

Worcestershire sauce

cayenne,

redfish, black drum fish

Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere’s)

oysters oysters

hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

white rice,

scallions,

Prepare the roux: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high until it’s just shy of smoking. Slowly shake the flour into the oil, whisking until smooth. Reduce the heat to medium and continue whisking until the roux is a deep dark brown, 20 to 30 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook another 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the stock. Bring to a boil and add the crabs (if using whole blue crabs), gumbo filé, bay leaves, salt, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors have melded, skimming off any foam or skin on the surface, about 1 hour.

Toss the shrimp and fish with the Creole seasoning and stir into gumbo, along with the oysters and crab meat (if using). Simmer until the shrimp and fish are cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the hot sauce. Taste and season with more salt and hot sauce if necessary. Divide among soup bowls and top with rice and scallions.

Cajun chicken meatballs in a creamy sauce with tons of onions, garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Serve these meatballs on top of egg noodles or with crusty bread and a salad, it is so delish! 

Cajun Chicken Meatballs in Tasty Cream Sauce

panko

parmesan cheese

parsley (plus more for serving)

¼ chicken (or turkey)

onions

peppers

mushrooms

flour

chicken broth

sour cream

tablespoons roughly chopped basil,

Meatballs: In a medium mixing bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons...

Meatballs: In a medium mixing bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of cajun seasoning, ½ the garlic, and all the other ingredients except the ground chicken. Add ½ teaspoon of black pepper and mix using a fork. The mixture will resemble a coarse breading. Add the ground chicken and mix until *just* combined. Do not overwork the meat. Roll into 18-22 meatballs. Mine were about 1 ½ tablespoons each.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large...

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet but do not overcrowd the pan. Cooke in batches if they don't all fit. Sear the meatballs for 4-5 minutes, flipping to brown all sides evenly. Remember you want to just brown the outside and not cook them all the way through. Remove meatballs to a plate. Repeat until all the meatballs are cooked.

Sauce: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to...

Sauce: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the remaining garlic and the onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the peppers and mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms and peppers soften, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and the remaining teaspoon of cajun seasoning over the veggies and push the veggies around the pan to coat evenly and cook for about a minute or until the flour starts to deepen in color.

Stir the mixture as you pour in the...

Stir the mixture as you pour in the chicken broth. Lower the heat, whisk in the sour cream until it dissolves completely. Allow sauce to come back to a gentle simmer before lowering the heat and letting the sauce thicken, about 6-12 minutes. When the sauce is halfway there, add the chicken meatballs and let cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil before serving.

This homemade Cajun Seasoning is bold, spicy, and savory and ready to take any dish from bland to bursting with flavor. Use cajun seasoning to add flavor to fish, chicken, vegetables, pasta, and more!

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

To make this Cajun seasoning, mix all the spices together in a small bowl with a fork or small whisk until combined and store in an airtight spice container.

Of all the spice blends Creole Seasoning is my favorite.  It&#x27;s a Louisiana mixture of spices, including lots of paprika, cayenne, garlic and salt and is seen in a lot of Cajun and Creole cuisine.

Salt

Black Pepper, freshly ground

Teaspoon Chili Powder

Tablespoon Garlic Powder

Tablespoon Dehydrated Garlic

Tablespoon Onion Powder

Tablespoon Thyme, dried

Tablespoon Parsley, dried

1-1/2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Tablespoons Paprika

Teaspoon Cornstarch

Any of the ingredients that need to be...

Any of the ingredients that need to be ground, do so first using a mortar and pestle.

Add all the ingredients to a small mixing...

Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and using a small whisk or a fork go ahead and mix completely.

Transfer to an airtight container to keep it...

Transfer to an airtight container to keep it fresh.  Label it so everyone knows what it is.

Decant into a salt shaker if you like...

Decant into a salt shaker if you like to use it at the table.

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Top Tags

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Top 10 creole seasoning recipes from across the web

The most viewed creole seasoning recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Étouffée

Homemade Creole Seasoning

Salmon Burgers with Cajun Remoulade...

Vegetarian Gumbo

Instant Pot Dirty Rice

Creole Redfish Gumbo

Cajun Chicken Meatballs in Tasty Cr...

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Homemade Creole Seasoning

The most viewed creole seasoning recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine